11 tips on the ways you can master the art of working from home.
Since the pandemic of Covid-19 happened, some of you will have been working remotely during your Erasmus Plus placement. Now, this may bring plenty of joys with it, such as cutting commuting cost to work. However, it also brings plenty of obstacles to hinder one’s productivity. For those adapted to the regime of being physically at the office and a convenient reach for colleagues and human interaction that comes with it, you may need to adjust while telecommuting. But the fun fact is that whilst you cut the cost of commuting, you also reduce travel pollution and provide great help for a more sustainable earth. Well done!
Here I will be giving you various tips on embracing fully the delight of working from home while maintaining focus and why it’s just as effective.
1 – Create a designated workspace in your home
I cannot stress enough how important it is to create your own office space while working from home. The biggest drawback of telecommuting is the difficulty of separating your home life from your work life! Think of it; if you work from bed, you will start associating your bed with work, which I’m sure that objectively is what no one wants. Instead, find a comfortable spot, perhaps in your living room, to set up your work station, and I promise that you are taking a big first step to acing working from home.
2 – Keep a bottle of water beside your work desk
A little bit of water can’t hurt you. In fact, it will do you wonders to stay hydrated throughout the day! Also, it may be obvious to point out that you should drink from a bottle with a secure lid and not an exposed glass, but this is important. Your laptop is essentially your life while working from home, so the last thing you want is a splashy accident that will render you unable to work.
3 – Create a regular work routine and maintain it
Habits make us, and it is beneficial to use this fact to our advantage. Once you start committing to the routine you have created, it will be second nature for your mind and body to follow. Try to stick to the hours you’ve set and not overdo or underdo your work time frame. Otherwise, you will struggle to balance home and work, as previously mentioned.
4 – Keep your workspace tidy and clean
Again, it may be pointing out the obvious, but small things such as a tidier workspace can make a big difference. There’s a saying that the state of your surroundings can be a direct reflection of your mind. Do we want to work with a cluttered mind? I would hope not.
5 – Time your work based on your productivity
This point is subjective and varies depending on whether you are an early or night bird. For example, if you know full well that you are naturally more productive after lunch, make sure you save your big and possibly complicated tasks to do then. In the meantime, you can occupy your morning with small tasks such as responding to emails. This applies vice versa if you are a morning bird, but adjust your work according to your strengths and timing.
6 – Play some music or put some TV in the background
Another subjective point that will vary depending on the type of work you are doing. Some work such as writing can be hinder with music, especially with lyrics. However, in most cases, music and background noise can improve focus, shown in plenty of studies. A tip I have to maximise the use of music for your productivity is to listen to a playlist. This prevents you from faffling to try to pick your next song, which would be counterproductive.
7 – Communicate with people in your household
Your household will contain many distractions ranging from your bed, other people and even your pets that can make it hard to work from home. Of course, you can’t talk to your pet and ask them politely to leave you alone. However, you can prevent them from entering your workspace. The good news is that you can talk to people and establish your workspace boundaries and hours with them.
8 – Take clever breaks
The grind and the hustle are great! However, I would not recommend working long straight hours without an effective break to bounce your productivity up. I wouldn’t recommend you spiralling into a Tik Tok or Youtube video hole neither, as you might not come back in time for when you scheduled yourself to get back to work. Instead, there are better methods to have a break, such as getting fresh air to refresh your mind, ready to ace your next task.
9 – Plan out what you’ll be working on ahead of time
Most of us working from home will have to create our own schedule and do our best to stick to it. I would recommend creating a schedule plan ahead of what you will be working on and when. Instead of working on actual work, setting your tasks every morning can magically eat a chunk of your time, and time is of the essence!
10 – Plan ahead on what to eat
Working at home gives us the luxury of a quick and convenient reach to the kitchen and full control over it. As marvellous as it sounds to do yourself a splendid breakfast and lunch (that can take an hour to prepare), try not to break your scheduled break hour because of it. I would recommend cooking the night before to have food for the next day and be time-efficient.
11 – Maintain your social life
We can be honest that working in isolation for some time can really test our sanity. Working from home does not have to take up your personal life; find an equilibrium between the two worlds! Stay connected with your friends and family, walk together or have zoom quizzes if you are physically unable to meet them. Find that sweet balance, and never forget to take care of yourself.
The conclusion!
Overall, working from home has its obstacles, but it’s nothing you can’t overcome. It also has several advantages over physically working at the office, such as distractions from colleagues. You can make the most out of it, and I hope you’ll find these tips helpful in working remotely. Good luck, you can do it! And if you liked these tips, have a look to Digital Marketing Tips too!